Signal-lock for mail-boxes.



oo: T.. D.. E S D E m1 M. TNS. AAE PMX?. E00 REM WHW .AN WMm D Jnouw &IHNKW OUT. SOT RLM E I TLL A MG. T. S.S .l .mw w 0 F no w n N V F,...

@wanton Wildeman l m m m nu: Nanni: Itfrkx co.. wAsllmaraN. D. c.

UNrTED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

SAMUEL PATTERSON AND JOHN W. WISEMAN, OF GONZALES COUNTY, TEXAS,ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO OLIVER T. PAYNE, OF LAVAOA COUNTY, TEXAS.

SIGNAL-LOCK FOR MAIL-BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1908.

Application filed June 5, 1907. Serial No. 377,426.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL PATTERSON and JOHN W. WIsEMAN, citizens ofthe United States, residing in the county of Gon- Zales and State ofTexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal-Locksfor Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to devices for locking the signals used on mailboxes to indicate the presence or absence of mail matter in the box andis especially adapted for use with boxes used in the rural mail serviceand has for its object the provision of a lock that can be ap,- plied tothe boxes already in use as well as being manufactured as the part of acomplete box, tliat can be operated only from the inside of the box, andthat will require but one hand to operate it.

The construction and operation of our iinproved lock will be describedin detail hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view cut longitudinally of amail box, which is partly broken away and showing our improved signallock in position, and Fig. 2, a plan view of the lock partly in section.

In the drawings similar reference characters indicate correspondingparts throughout the several views.

1 indicates a mail box of any selected construction and 2 a signaltherefor having its staff 3 bent at right angles as shown at 4 andinserted through a hole 5 in the side or end of box 1. The signal staffis made preferably rectangular in cross-section or, if desired, only theportion 4 may be so formed, while in either case the end of portion '4is formedv with screw-threads 6.

7 indicates a bearing washer placed on the portion 4 before insertingthrough hole 5.

8 indicates a segmental plate secured on the inner side of the box 1having a hole 9 therein to register with hole 5, while the circular edge10 is provided with projections 11 and other projections 12 withslanting top edges, the two sets of projections forming stops 13substantially ninety degrees apart.

14 indicates a latch arm of metal secured to the inner end of the bentportion 4 of staff 3 and having a square hole 15 therein to fit thesquare portion of said inwardly bent portion 4 while its outer end isbent outwardly as shown at 16 to form a handle for convenient operation.

17 indicates a curved retaining strip secured to plate 8 over itscircular edge 10 to prevent the arm 14 from being lifted over theprojections 13.

As the latch arm 14 can be reached only from the inside of the box itwill be understood that the signal staff can not be moved except whenthe box is opened by its owner or the mail carrier.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is- In combinationwith a mail box having a hole therein, a segmental plate secured on theinside of the box having a hole therein to register with the hole in thebox and proj ections on the curved edge of the plate forming stops, saidprojections being arranged in pairs adjacent to the ends of the curvededge of the plate, the inner one of each pair of projections having aslanting upper edge on which the arm rides when reaching its extremepositions, a rectangular L-shaped signal staff having its end extendingthrough the holes in the box and plate, an arm secured to the inner endof the stai and engaging the projections on the plate, and a curvedretaining strip secured over the arm and the curved edge of the plate,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we hereto affix our signatures in the presence oftwo witnesses.

SAMUEL PATTERSON. JOHN W. WISEMAN. Witnesses:

